


Home

by walrusgrendel



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Post-Dragon Age: Origins, complicated feelings about Orzammar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 05:17:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14585772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walrusgrendel/pseuds/walrusgrendel
Summary: After the defeat of the Archdemon, Sereda debates whether to return home.





	Home

A hundred stars were Sereda’s only companions that night, still partially obscured by the waves of dust and ash still being cleared out of Denerim’s streets; part of the massive rebuilding project. The sight still amazed her. At first, she had looked up at the sky and felt her whole world spinning, as if she was going to hurtle up sudden and fall into the great expanse. As time went on, she began to love the stars, especially on the late nights when she was on watch at the camp and could sit and stare as long as she wanted. It was why she had been overjoyed to find that the Palace had a balcony leading off the main hall where the party was still in full swing. They had left just enough time to recover from their injuries fighting the Archdemon before Anora had insisted on celebrating the end of the Blight.

Sereda set her wine down on the stone floor and shivered suddenly in the cool breeze. She could have asked one of her companions to join her but she needed to be alone for a moment to think about the news she had received that afternoon.

The door behind her opened. Sereda turned, ready to make an excuse for why she had abandoned her own party, but relaxed when she saw it was Alistair He gave her a relieved smile and joined her on the edge of the balcony- tall enough to rest his arms on the railing.

“Managed to convince Leliana to distract the nobles for a bit, right now she’s fascinating them with stories about walking corpses.” Alistair shuddered, “Though it’s definitely more fun listening to it than it was actually climbing through that tunnel. The smell alone…”

“I feel like most stories are like that. They always leave out the parts that are too disgusting. Or boring.” Sereda said.

“True. Though at least with ours’ they’ll probably leave out the weeks of wandering around the Brecilian Forest hoping we’d stumble into a Dalish clan.”

“Well, we did end up stumbling into a Dalish clan.” Sereda pointed out.

“ _Anyway_ I had a point, I’m just trying to remember it.” Alistair took a deep breath, “From the way you were talking to all those nobles at the Landsmeet I’d have thought a party like this would be right up your alley. What’s wrong?”

Sereda thought about waving his question off for a moment with a lie about needing air, or feeling sick but quickly decided against it. Even if he saw through her excuse, he wouldn’t object to it. Just accept that there were some things she either couldn’t or didn’t want to tell him, and she didn’t want that.

“I had a message from Orzammar this afternoon.” Sereda said, “From my brother.”

“Ah.” Alistair nodded slowly. He knew all about the…complicated history there. He had accompanied her to Orzammar and had even agreed to wait outside while she spoke to Bhelen for the first time in over a year. He had also been near enough to the door to hear the shouting and sound of multiple vases and other breakable objects shattering against the wall. 

“He’s said the assembly will probably name me a Paragon in the next few weeks. And that my banishment has been lifted. He’s invited me to return.” She frowned and picked up her drink again.

“Isn’t that good? You can go home again.”

“At first I wanted to. I _really_ wanted to. But…” Sereda turned her gaze back to the stars, “It won’t be home. Not really. Even when we were there for the treaty, all I could think about was the people who _weren’t_ there. Every second we were in the palace I kept expecting to turn a corner and see Trian ready to lecture me, or my father in the throne room.” She took a long drink and grimaced. “And there’s something else. You didn’t hear the worst of it but when we were back, the way that people were speaking to me was just…people I’d known my whole life were spitting at me, calling me _kinslayer_. I can’t just go back and face them all again, listen to them pretend that didn’t happen.”

Wordlessly, Alistair reached out and took her free hand in his own. “Then don’t go back. Go wherever you want whether you want to stay with the Wardens or not. After all you’ve done I don’t think anyone could deny you the chance to choose what you want to do now. And if you want me there, then I’ll go with you.” He squeezed her hand gently, just enough to remind her that he was there. That they were both there, alive after everything. “I’d even follow you to Orlais if that’s what you wanted.”

“I’d never dream of inflicting that on you.” Sereda felt a smile break across her lips and suddenly she was laughing. They were both laughing, and both keeping hold of each other’s hand as they looked up, together, at the smoke-stained sky.


End file.
